Russian nuclear conglomerate has aided war effort: documents

The Russian state-run nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has been supplying the country’s military with missile fuel amid its invasion of Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

The Post reviewed documents showing that the company has offered to provide goods to military units and weapons manufacturers that have faced international sanctions. The manufacturers include a producer of missile systems, one that creates unguided bombs and multiple missile launch systems and several that make armored carriers and tanks, among others.

The Post reviewed a letter that was dated October sent from the department head of Rosatom that Ukrainian intelligence officials obtained. The letter mentioned a meeting between the company, the Russian Defense Ministry and representatives of the weapons manufacturers.

The Post reported that Rosatom has presented itself as a civilian company that operates nuclear power plants throughout the world through commercial partnerships, but the documents amid the war in Ukraine have shown how it is connected to Russia’s military-industrial complex.

Rosatom employees reportedly helped facilitate Russian forces taking control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and a Russian decree revealed.

The Post reported that witnesses have said Rosatom employees who were stationed at the plant seemed to have directed some Russian artillery that hit the plant, threatening its stability and potentially risking a nuclear accident.

Rosatom told the Post in response to a request for comment that all its claims were false.

Daniel Fred, a former sanctions coordinator for the State Department, told the Post that Rosatom providing aid for the Russian arms industry is a “sanctionable” offense.

Ukraine has previously called for its allies to place sanctions on Rosatom over its role in Russia taking the Zaporizhzhia plant, but it has not happened so far.

The company is heavily involved in providing nuclear power to much of the world, including the United States and Western Europe, which could create a difficult economic situation if sanctions are placed on it.

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